The French researcher in the film is played by famous french film director Francois Truffaut. One of these days you should dive into the french new wave films. His most famous is The 400 Blows. Always loved that Speilberg got other directors to be in his movies. He did the same with director Richard Attenborough, director of Gandhi, who played John Hammond in Jurassic Park.
François Truffaut, (born February 6, 1932, Paris, France-died October 21, 1984, Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris), French film critic, director, and producer whose attacks on established filmmaking techniques both paved the way for and pioneered the movement known as the Nouvelle Vague (New Wave).
The character he was playing is based on an actual famous French Ufologist called Jacques Vallee. Jacques is credited for creating the classification for "Close Encounters of the Forth and Fifth Kind." A Close Encounter of the Forth kind is an abduction case. A close Encounter of the fifth kind could either be communication with a UFO, although the witness in this doesn't need to be abducted. Or it can also be where an individual is known as a "repeater witness", in this case encounters UFOs on a regular basis.
An absolute masterpiece. The odd thing is the story is soooo thin. Man sees UFO, has compulsive need to find UFO, takes ride in UFO. But the masterful storytelling, the stunning visuals, the film as a whole makes the Experience! So much greater than the sum of its parts.
Well, to be fair, a lot of the story is about the government figuring out what's going on in parallel to the protagonist, who finds everyone turning their back on him.
I was 8 years old when it first came out and rember being in awe in the theater. Our generation, those of us in our 50's, grew up with some amazing films!
When the little boy is watching all his toys come to life and looks so delighted what he was actually watching is Spielberg had put a man in a guerrilla costume off camera and he was watching him jump around.
I was 10 years old in 1977 and saw two of my favorite movies ever, Star Wars and this. Star Wars stoked my imagination but this one seemed real. Spielberg was and continues to be a master filmmaker.
I was 8 in 1977 so I'm close to your age. I have very clear memories of seeing this movie a few times in the movie theater. It helped that my oldest sister was studying film in college and took me to see a lot of great movies back then. I also became a huge Star Wars fan back then, as every kid did I guess. :D I was such a Star Wars addict I ended up seeing it over 50 times in the theater before Empire came out. Today, Disney has killed my passion for Star Wars and I've skipped most of what they have pooped out from that franchise.
I saw this film in a theater shortly after it was released. The scene where the mother ship appears over Devil's Tower made people audibly gasp, we hadn't seen anything quite like that before. Awe inspiring.
The French scientist was played by filmmaker Francois Truffaut. A lot of people felt they had choose sides, Star Wars or Close Encounters. I never understood why. They are such different types of movies. I enjoyed both tremendously, but each in a different way.
This is hands down my favorite Steven Spielberg's movie. I adore this movie so much it's ridiculous. I always cry watching it, it's beautiful. Loved your reaction.
I'm only a few minutes in, but your commentary is spot on. The natural feel of the scene makes you feel like you're observing real people. Most movies focus on the person speaking no matter what. This director seems to take advantage of unimportant audio space by making the scene as chaotic as possible, and also the scene is hilarious. Spielberg always used the best ACTORS, not ones that would "look good" for the audience. Also, in the truck scene, I was looking for your reaction when the "headlights" went upwards. Did not disappoint
A film that needs to be experienced in the theater & truly articulates the power of the medium. You also watched the wrong version - Spielberg's final Director's Cut excises the interior shots of the ship - he wanted that left to the audience's imagination. Those shots were only included at the request of studio execs for the '79 Special Edition rerelea$e.
James, speaking of Ridley Scott's alien. That's one of the very few movies that you can turn the screen off and listen simply to the audio and your mind will make it even more terrifying.
James, I graduated university May, 1977. I got a job with a non-profit, working with inner city kids. We used to get free movie tickets for Saturday matinès. Imagine being in a darkened theater, theater sound, in the midst of a group of 6 to 14 year olds. And then the mother ship arrives.........!
I love that air traffic controller scene. It's almost just a throw away scene but it has so much texture to it and feels grounded in the real world. And I love how it's all just dialog, which adds to the suspense. I bet if someone made this movie today it'd be this big elaborate effects sequence.
As someone who used to work in an ATC centre, I can honestly say this is a completely realistic scene in portraying what the job is like. I know Spielberg is a plane buff, he really did his homework here.
I was going to post about this, also... One of the goosebump scenes... along with the ship going over Roy's truck when he waves it past. ...and the scene in India when the crowd points to the sky.
The air traffic controller scene is one of my favorites of all time. I used to work with an old guy who sounded alot like of the pilots voices. Wasnt the same guy but unreal how alike they sounded.
Still one of my favorite Sci-films ever. The fact that Speilberg takes an everyman and puts him in extraordinary circumstances, was kind of new at the time, but later became kind of trope of his. Still a great movie. Funny, scary, though-provoking and just a plain old good time.
@@mikerodgers7620 In no particular order: Planet of the Apes (1968), 2001: A Space Odyssey, Soylent Green, Her, Lucy, Ex Machina, Close Encounters, Dune (2021), Contact; Blade Runner and BR: 2049, just to name a few. I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple. There are some that cross over into horror or action that I've excluded, like Alien or Terminator or The Matrix, all of which I loved, but they cross over enough so that I don't think of them as pure sci-fi.
Mine: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars 77', Day the Earth Stood Still, The Empire Strikes Back, Equilibrium, The Thing 82', The Matrix, The Terminator, Terminator 2, Aliens, The Avengers
There were a few movies that came out with the everyman suddenly plunged into extraordinary circumstances he never wanted or asked for. One of my favs was Poltergeist and of course Terminator with Sarah Conner. Spielberg was always one step ahead, thinking smarter than most and he usually came out on top even when there were other fantastic directors out there. He has even written, directed and produced in the same movie.
That's right and I don't if you noticed but although it's not shown in this video, soon after the scene where the airmen came out of the mothership. There is a man with a beard and steps forward. He then puts a pipe in his mouth. He is known as the godfather of modern Ufology, his name was Dr J. Allen Hynek. Sadly he's no longer with us, he passed away in 1986. He was the scientific advisor the US Air force by investigating UFO cases. They were regarded as projects. 1) Project Sign 2) Project Grudge 3) (which is the most famous and longest one of all) Project Bluebook He was also the founder of CUFOS (Center for UFO Studies) and also created the "scale" on how UFO cases are classified. 1) Nocturnal lights: Lights in the night sky. 2) Daylight Disks: UFOs seen in the daytime, generally having discoidal or oval shapes. 3) Radar-visual: UFO reports that have radar confirmation. 4) Close encounters of the first kind (CE1): Visual sightings of an unidentified flying object, seemingly less than 500 feet (150 m) away, that show an appreciable angular extension and considerable detail. 5) Close encounters of the second kind (CE2): A UFO event in which a physical effect is alleged; this can be interference in the functioning of a vehicle or electronic device, animals reacting, a physiological effect such as paralysis or heat and discomfort in the witness, or some physical trace like impressions in the ground, scorched or otherwise affected vegetation, or a chemical trace. 6) Close encounters of the third kind (CE3): UFO encounters in which an animated entity is present-these include humanoids, robots, and humans who seem to be occupants or pilots of a UFO.
I really like that in Spielberg's movies which were set in the "present", the houses, hairstyles, cars, clothing, etc. were all what normal people actually had. The styles people had in real life were a lot more toned down than what we usually saw from Hollywood, and most of what people had in their daily lives was either already out of date, or would still pass today. This was the disco era, and TV and movies usually leaned into that more, but real life was more like what you see in Close Encounters, ET, Poltergeist, etc.
The director's cut is the longest version of the film, combining Spielberg's favorite elements from both previous editions but removing the scenes inside the extraterrestrial mothership.
Let's define our terms - "Jaws" is not sci-fi and "Close Encounters..." is not horror. And I suppose there's a sequel in this, where Roy comes back 45 years later, finds his family and says "so, what's new?".
One day when Steven Spielberg was a kid, his parents suddenly rushed the children into the family car and drove to a place where a bunch of people had gathered to watch a meteor shower. The memory of people going somewhere to see something arriving from space stayed with him, and was one of the inspirations for Close Encounters of the Third Kind. At the age of 17 in 1965, Spielberg made a movie called Firelight on a budget of $500. The plot was very similar to Close Encounters. He got it booked into a local theater and charged $1 admission. 500 people came to see it, and the receipts totaled $501 - he thinks one person paid $2 to get in. Two of the reels of Firelight have been lost. Not counting Firelight, Close Encounters was only the third feature-length movie for theaters that Steven Spielberg directed, after The Sugarland Express in 1974, and Jaws in 1975. He's had a little bit of success since then, too.
Still my favourite Stephen Spielberg movie, but it's not a fair comparison in my case I think. This is my dad's favourite movie, and I watched it with him for the first time when I was... I don't even know how young, 7 or something maybe, and we kept watching it together once or twice a year for a long long time, even after I moved away from home we still watched it from time to time. It's been a long time since we did it now though, maybe 10 years or even more, I think I'll suggest we watch it this christmas when I visit. Good vibes all around from this reaction.
Making my day, James. I search every night for someone, anyone, to react to this; but it's largely not done. Oh, some have reacted to it, but not enough. A tremendous film. :)
I LOVE this movie! So many fascinating ideas presented. Interestingly, this basic story is how some people describe becoming hooked on chasing tornadoes and other dangerous weather: you witness a phenomenon, it moves you, takes over your life (sometimes painfully), the obsession roots in and you have to see it again until you understand.
Wonderful movie! A perfect mix of mystery, horror, humor and wonder. It makes you feel uneasy when Roy seems to slowly lose his mind but gets really heartwarming towards the end. And that music! Also, you can really tell that this movie was one of the major influences for J.J. Abrams' Super 8 (that chaotic scene with the kids in the beginning for example, and the ending of course). That lens you are looking for is a split diopter lens, aka split-field or split-focus diopter.
OMG, so many memories!! I was in high school when this came out and it totally captivated me and my theater geek friends. We discussed, debated, and quoted this film for over a year. And that summer when my family took a trip out west, I talked my dad into visiting Devils Tower. Amazing place! Amazing movie!!
Just in case no one has already mentioned it, the scientist who knows that these guys are meant to be there, the guy speaking French - is the great great film-maker Francois Truffaut...
Very enjoyable reaction, classic movie. Been a movie fan since early childhood, it cost 2 cents to get in 2 cents for a candy bar and a cola was only 1 cent. Watching people react is fascinating and fun. Thanks James.
You might also like 1971's The Andromeda Strain. It's a bit slow paced but has great dialogue and some cool science visuals. Based on the book by Michael Crichton (writer of Jurassic Park) "A team of top scientists work feverishly in a secret, state-of-the-art laboratory to discover what has killed the citizens of a small town and learn how this deadly contagion can be stopped." Worth a watch and I think you'd enjoy it!
CEot3K is STILL one of my favorite films of all time. I truly enjoyed how Spielberg was able to get me to relate to Richard Dreyfus' character. A true masterpiece of cinema. Also, overlapping dialog at the time was a relatively new technique in motion picture making at the time. This is likely why it stands out so much. Films were still following the previous generations' styles which were based on stage production. One wouldn't want people stage acting to talk over each other. It would be too confusing for the audience. Today, we don't think much of overlapping dialog in movies. However, when it was starting to gain traction at that time, it was a REALLY big deal at how natural the conversations seemed. Outstanding observation on your part!
@12:30 I always call it a split focus lens or split diopter. I always enjoy your reactions and observances of the techniques the filmmakers use as well.
That's one thing I wish video games did more : layering dialogue, people cutting other people off, talking faster or at varying paces... It's a lot more natural.
Yet another classic. Loving the quality and variety of film selections presented on this channel. You and the Patreon are doing a damn good job here James. On a Halloween theme; would love a reaction to Blacksheep, Splinter and Bubba Ho-Tep.
19:43 Because there was a large overlap in the special effects guys on this film and Star Wars, they snuck in an R2-D2 cameo, hanging upside down under the rim of the saucer. Also, famously, Lucas visited the set of Close Encounters while both films were still in pre-production, and was blown away by what he was seeing. He insisted that Spielberg's film was going to bury him at the box office. Steven was just as convinced that it was the other way around, so they made a bet, promising to pay each other 2.5% of their films' respective box office gross. Which ever film took in more would make the other director the winner of the exchange. Spielberg won the bet to the tune of about $40 million, adjusted for inflation.
OMG, bro!! I'm so happy you're reacting to this. Old movies just hit different, especially how they slowly build it into one giant sequence in the end. Exorcist is another one that does it. They don't make movies like that anymore. Thank you. Also, I've never seen you wear glasses
I forget that people have forgotten what the scale was - Close Encounters of the First Kind Visual sightings of an unidentified flying object, seemingly less than 500 feet (150 m) away, that show an appreciable angular extension and considerable detail[10] Close Encounters of the Second Kind A UFO event in which a physical effect is alleged; this can be interference in the functioning of a vehicle or electronic device, animals reacting, a physiological effect such as paralysis or heat and discomfort in the witness, or some physical trace like impressions in the ground, scorched or otherwise affected vegetation, or a chemical trace[10] Close Encounters of the Third Kind See also: First contact (anthropology) UFO encounters in which an animated entity is present-these include humanoids, robots, and humans who seem to be occupants or pilots of a UFO
This is one of the first movies I have memories seeing on a TV. The scene with all they toys turning on at night and the kid getting abducted scared me as a kid lol.
This is my favourite movie of all time, and the Flight Traffic control scene is genuinely what I consider to be one of the best scene in any movie ever filmed. I prefer the Director's Cut which never shows the inside of the mothership, but really that's just personal preference. I think some people might feel they needed that payoff after the film not explaining... well.... anything XD
This was the very first Spielberg movie I saw on VHS, then ET then finally HOOK. Steve McQueen, James Caan, Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman were considered for the role of Roy Neary until Richard Dreyfuss was cast. Nominated for 8 Oscars: Best Director Best Supporting Actress Melinda Dillon Best Sound Editing Best Sound Effects Editing Best Original Score Best Production Design Best Cinematography Best Visual Effects. It won Best Cinematography.
One of my favorite scifi films.The dialog and interactions between the characters and the geography are fantastic. You should try Cocoon by Ron Howard.
I saw this when it came out in theaters when I was 5 years old. It still stands as my all-time favorite movie. My mind was already blown away by "Star Wars", so this movie was the PERFECT follow-up. One took me into outer space, and the other brought outer space right here. The John Williams soundtrack alone is most worthy of earphones in a dark room. Just to clear up a few things I think you might have been confused about, or at least questioned during your viewing. Close Encounters of the First Kind: Sighting Close Encounters of the Second Kind: Evidence Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Contact These people were driven crazy by their vision of Devil's Tower. The initial reason why Roy made a sculpture rather than a drawing is because he's an electrician. He works with his hands. That is what came to him naturally. Just like how a musician writes a song, and a filmmaker shoots a movie when they want to express themselves. The reason why the little boy Barry had so many toys in his room because he is an only child from a single mother. I think you may have mistaken Lance Hendricksen for "Sticks" (Scott Glenn). Bob Balaban, who played the French translator, didn't actually speak French, but faked it in the audition to get the part! Glad you enjoyed it!
Spectacular film and a great reaction. Continuing a similar sci-fi theme, you might want to react to Contact (1997) one day, James. A very emotional and somehow deeply spiritual movie directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jodie Foster. A rather intimate and personal take on the idea of alien contact compared to Close Encounters.
such an amazing movie. what i love about this movie is "are the aliens good or bad?" its done everything amazingly. almost 50 years and still an amazing movie.
Growing up with this (and other early Spielberg/Williams movies) feels like a warm, comfortable bath every time I watch it again. I have always had a soft spot for first contact sci-fi and after reacting to Arrival and Close Encounters I hope you will also react to the other first contact movie Contact (1997, Zemeckis from a story by Carl Sagan). And if you really want to go for it, The Day The Earth Stood Still (1950, not the remake, very post WWII/cold war motivated)
I love the very quick view of the ships when still a great distance from the mountain. Unless I am mistaken they form the shape of the big dipper constellation over the mountain. Always loved that.
I remember seeing this as a very young kid and seeing the UFO. That was the coolest part. The second coolest part was getting to see the alien. I know it's not as impressive as some modern movies but it's still pretty cool for its time.
I love everything about this movie. The special effects are really good by today’s standards - and this was the 1970s. It’s got horror elements, mystery, sci-fi obviously, and presents humans as global citizens and aliens as friendly and curious.
It appears you watched the Special Edition. I recognize it because for years I had the VHS copy of this and almost wore it out. You should check out the OG Theatrical Cut. It was recently gifted to me by my wife in the form of a blu-ray, and I instantly recognized the scenes that were cut out. The TC is more streamlined and swifter in it's narrative. Great reaction as always.
Yeah, I really hate that he cut the building of the HUGE mountain in his living room. It's such a powerful scene, and is the real reason why Teri Garr took the kids and left. Cutting that out really removes a key part of the mania driving Roy's behavior, having been affected by the aliens.
So Spielberg has three alien movies. E.T. and Close Encounters are the sort of movies where the aliens are either chill, or want to make contact. Then in 2005 he released War of the worlds. And that movie was absolutely brutal. I'd consider it the scariest movie I saw in my childhood. It's the most intense alien invasion/horror movie, that features aliens who have zero interest in being friends or anything. It has awesome sound design, effects, alien ship designs, and many moments that still stick in my mind. Spielberg knew he was playing nice before, so in his third alien movie, he showed no chill what so ever. Also, it has Tom Cruise running for dear life.
I'm older so I was familiar with the original film, but I agree that some of the elements made it far more chilling. People have been getting killed by phasers, beams, etc for decades. To see crowds of everyday people, with lives and families and histories, just get suddenly turned to ash and bits of cloth.. I don't know why it hits harder than so many other movies that show similar things but it does. A skilled film maker working with nuances I guess.
@@dreamcoyote I read the book by Wells, and I have to say that for the first alien invader story, he knocked it out of the park. It doesn't feel dated at all. As for the Spielberg movie, a lot of people dunk on it for the annoying kids, but that's what the movie is about. The main character may have a difficult time connecting with his kids, but he is a pappa wolf through the entire thing. And the movie was real grounded too. We didn't see many scenes of famous landmarks being destroyed, generals and scientists discussing the plan of action and so on. It was a movie about a family being in the middle of a horrible disaster. And damn were the alien invaders cold in that movie. They went pest control on the entire human race.
I looked it up because I couldn't remember what the different types of encounters were and it's interesting that they call this close encounters of the Third kind since it has all five types of encounters in it
Fantastic reaction. You always put "Filmmaker reacts" in your title, and in THIS reaction, we DEFINITELY get the filmmaker side of James, and I just want to tell you: I'm here for it! You're one of the only reactors - possibly THE only reactor - who was happy they kissed at the mountain. You understood it. Somewhere along the years, people have gotten really priggish and on their high horse about this movie. ("He's cheating on his wife! He's leaving his family!" - in the late 70s, EVERYONE was leaving their families! lol. The Jillian character is a single mother, right? it reminds me of a great wacky movie, "Repo Man". He's about to get on the spaceship and the girls grabs him and says "What about our relationship?" And he stares at the spaceship and says "F**k that!" LOL. This is by far my fave Spielberg movie; it's definitely the period he was "coolest". Ten thousand things to say about this unique, one-of-a-kind sci-fi movie, but I'll leave it with this: Seeing this is in a movie theatre with an audience was a like a religious experience, people were in a DAZE when the lights came up, as if we all had gone on the experience together. (which we had!). It came out six months after "Star Wars" and I was ten thousand times more blown away by this movie than that one. (and I was all of 8 years old). EXCELLENT reaction!
There's a great behind the scenes on youtube. The dessert scene at the front was added when the edit was too short. The Spaceship interior came after its initial release. btw, the single mom is the actress from "A Christmas Story" didn't know that till this year,
I was maybe 10 when I first saw this movie with my family but to this day it still resonates as one of the best "first contact" alien movies. Bravo, sir.
Spielberg said that this is the movie he is more proud of, on a filmmaker standpoint, because it's the movie who came more closer to what he had imagined, Schindler List is the other he mentioned but by a humanitary standpoint
This movie is epic in all of the great ways that the '80s could provide when there was hope and wonder and happiness in film before Hollywood decided to make everything gritty and dark. Movies like this and ET and The Goonies showed that there was a time when we had a sense of adventure.
Um... dude... the 70s WAS Gritty and dark Hollywood. Take a look at Spielbergs own DUEL or STARLIGHT EXPRESS. Also, Texas Chainsaw Massacte, Taxi Driver, Joe, Last Tango in Paris, Godfather 1 and 2, Mean Streets, Blaxploitatin, Kung Fu-sploition... and all those other crazy grindhouse flicks
When this was made, in '77, there wasn't much hope, wonder or happiness in Hollywood. A lot of 70s films were depressing because of Vietnam, political scandals and a poor economy. I think that that's a big reason why this, Star Wars and Rocky were such huge hits. Moviegoers in the late 70s wanted to feel good again. Their success encouraged more adventurous, fun and funny films as the 80s rolled around.
It was great watching your reaction to this movie. My aunt took me to see this at the Ziegfeld Theatre in NYC when it opened and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I think seeing it in such a great movie theatre is what made me favor it over Star Wars by a long shot as I watched the latter in a second-run theatre with the sound volume set low and coming solely from the screen. I apologize ahead of time if I repeat any information previously found on this thread but the head scientist Lacombe was played by François Truffaut, director of film classics like The 400 Blows, Day For Night, Shoot The Piano Player and the film adaptation of Fahrenheit 451. You also watched the second of three versions of this movie -- the Special Edition. Steven Spielberg regretted showing the interior of the mothership (added as an incentive for movie goers to attend the movie's second theatrical run) and created his own Director's Cut after this. I saw the Theatrical Cut and from what I remember, there was an early scene with the UFO witnesses in a conference room with the head government/military authority telling them what they saw was not extraterrestrial. Also missing was a lot of Neary family interaction and the ship in the desert. The other element of this movie besides the acting and directing that gave this movie such weight is John Williams' score. The driving scene after escaping the evacuation and leading to the leads' first view off Devil's Tower is one of my favorites due solely on the music. The original theatrical poster was also brilliantly subtle and intriguing and made viewers wonder what the movie was about. Strangely, while watching your reaction and seeing Melinda Dillon made remember her in a small part in the 1977 movie Slap Shot; a movie that is certainly nothing like Close Encounters' but is such an incredibly fun and raucous sports movie (directed by George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, etc.)) that I would like to recommend it to you. I've watched it over ten times throughout my life and I laugh out loud each every time. As always, it was great fun to relive my first experience watching this movie vicariously through your own first-time viewing.
This is my favorite movie of all time; saw this when I was about 5 or six, and it both terrified me and fascinated me. I still watch it at least once or twice a year.
I lived in the same dorm as the actor that plays the little boy in this when in Alabama. His name was Kerry or Carey I think (it’s been 30 years). We played guitar together at his place. He was/is very talented. He answered all my questions about the movie. Spielberg etc. Last I heard he got into finance or some such. Truly a nice guy.
Got to see this on the big screen a few years back and it was even more spectacular than all those times I had watched it on a TV screen. If you ever get the chance to do the same, I can't recommend it more
16:25 no, Stick is played by Scott Glenn. I do see why you would think that too, it goes by so fast and so grainy :P , but that is Lance Henriksen, aka Bishop from Aliens. :)
I remember getting this movie out on VHS from the greatly missed video rental shops. We would usually take out 3-4 movies at weekends and a couple mid week. Me my dad and my sister sat down and watched this movie and it completely shook my world. I can't even remember watching the other movies or even recall what they were. I was about 9-10 when I saw it and the wonder and brilliance stayed with me ever since. I do remember asking what the title meant and my dads explanation was just silly, vague and didn't make sense so I asked my mom and she explained all the different 'kinds' of encounters which left me to wonder about what is out there. Just a side note: We are now on the brink of demonstrating the processes of how Abiogenesis started and how life got going from simple to complex chemistry and then from non living organic matter to life in the lab. When this has been done it will likely show that there is nothing magical or special about life but rather it's an inevitable consequence of chemistry as long as there are good conditions present. This means that life must be ubiquitous in the universe and considering there are around 200 trillion stars in our little pocket of the universe; or the bit we can actually see, then there must be life all over the place and a fair chance it exists elsewhere just in our solar system alone. When we have these answers it will change mankind in such a profound way, in how we look at ourselves and how we begin to care about each other instead of building evermore dangerous bombs and missiles. Imagine us understanding how life gets started and with our current and next generation telescopes we can detect signatures for life in the atmospheres of countless planets in our galaxy and beyond.
Spielberg was 30 when and unmarried when he made this film. Upon reflection, the older Spielberg noted that he would never have had Roy abandon his family if he had made the film later in life. Claude Lacombe was played renowned French director and Spielberg idol, Francois Truffault. NOTE: This is the special edition of the film that played theaters in 1980. The original film didn't have the extended freakout sequence at the Neary household, the ship in the desert or the interior of the Mothership. The break in the soundtrack to make room for that reveal scene is pretty noticeable if you're used to the original. Strains of When you Wish upon a Star are weaved into John Williams' soundtrack as Roy boards the ship. Despite the keyboardist initially playing electronic tones, the final music "conversation" is performed on a clarinet and tuba in a tour de force composition by Williams. It's a very rare occasion where the theme music of a film actually is part in the in-canon story. Lance Hendrickson, probably best known for his role as the android Bishop in Aliens, has a small part as one of the government personnel. Stick from Daredevil was played by Scott Glenn, who was in a million movies, but not this one.
Now that you’ve seen this, you need to watch the companion parody “Closet Cases of the Nerd Kind.” It played on a constant loop on HBO in the early eighties and I thought it was hilarious as a kid. You can watch it on RUclips and it still (kinda) holds up.
Well, this is exciting for me! Fantastic film that I can remember the very first time I saw it, way back when. A very pleasant memory from my childhood. Thank you
Enjoyed your reaction - thanks! If you're a filmmaker I'd recommend researching how Spielberg drew the performance he wanted out of Cary Guffey (Barry). He was only 3 years old but Spielberg came up with some pretty clever and ingenious techniques to get the appropriate reactions.
Another film that certainly falls into that sci-fi/horror cross-genre category is Event Horizon. Also, I think Teri Garr turned in an excellent performance here. We know her from Young Frankenstein of course, made three years before this, but the first role I remember her from was a Star Trek the original series episode titled Assignment Earth, which was actually a pilot for a series that didn't sell.
The actor you pointed out wasn’t Stick from Daredevil, but it WAS Lance Henriksen, he played Bishop in Aliens, one of the detectives in Terminator and Gen. Shepherd in MW2
One of my Favorit moments at a movie Theater after watching the film everybody leaving the Theater looks up at the night sky at the same time it was like when all the hands point up at the sky
14:25 Great observation. Having the camera move backwards to introduce new elements one by one is a deft way to lead the audience without cutting. Spielberg does this all the time. I often think of Indiana Jones closeups of him changing expression and the camera pulls back to reveal the dangerous situation he's in.
People watching this today, like Star Wars, don't realize how amazing these effects were for the time.
They're STILL amazing. Douglas Trumbull is the GOAT!
They remastered the effects.
Ironically enough, part of the model of the mothership also has R2-D2 and a Tie-fighter on it.
No they do not❤
The French researcher in the film is played by famous french film director Francois Truffaut. One of these days you should dive into the french new wave films. His most famous is The 400 Blows. Always loved that Speilberg got other directors to be in his movies. He did the same with director Richard Attenborough, director of Gandhi, who played John Hammond in Jurassic Park.
François Truffaut, (born February 6, 1932, Paris, France-died October 21, 1984, Neuilly-sur-Seine, near Paris), French film critic, director, and producer whose attacks on established filmmaking techniques both paved the way for and pioneered the movement known as the Nouvelle Vague (New Wave).
The character he was playing is based on an actual famous French Ufologist called Jacques Vallee. Jacques is credited for creating the classification for "Close Encounters of the Forth and Fifth Kind."
A Close Encounter of the Forth kind is an abduction case.
A close Encounter of the fifth kind could either be communication with a UFO, although the witness in this doesn't need to be abducted. Or it can also be where an individual is known as a "repeater witness", in this case encounters UFOs on a regular basis.
An absolute masterpiece. The odd thing is the story is soooo thin. Man sees UFO, has compulsive need to find UFO, takes ride in UFO. But the masterful storytelling, the stunning visuals, the film as a whole makes the Experience! So much greater than the sum of its parts.
Well, to be fair, a lot of the story is about the government figuring out what's going on in parallel to the protagonist, who finds everyone turning their back on him.
This movie is one of the reasons Speilberg is a legend. He was doing things that had never been seen in major films at the time.
Whenever I watch this I love that Lacombe is played by one of the greatest film directors of all time.
Yep...François Truffaut.
I was 8 years old when it first came out and rember being in awe in the theater. Our generation, those of us in our 50's, grew up with some amazing films!
When the little boy is watching all his toys come to life and looks so delighted what he was actually watching is Spielberg had put a man in a guerrilla costume off camera and he was watching him jump around.
Just gonna say that the score here is some of John Williams best work - and he has a MASSIVE repertoire of the most memorable movie scores in history.
I was 10 years old in 1977 and saw two of my favorite movies ever, Star Wars and this. Star Wars stoked my imagination but this one seemed real. Spielberg was and continues to be a master filmmaker.
That’s an awesome glimpse of a damn memorable experience. Hell yeah!
I was 8 in 1977 so I'm close to your age. I have very clear memories of seeing this movie a few times in the movie theater. It helped that my oldest sister was studying film in college and took me to see a lot of great movies back then.
I also became a huge Star Wars fan back then, as every kid did I guess. :D I was such a Star Wars addict I ended up seeing it over 50 times in the theater before Empire came out. Today, Disney has killed my passion for Star Wars and I've skipped most of what they have pooped out from that franchise.
My thoughts as well
I was 9. Saw both in theaters and was mesmerized. Great memories.
I was 11……
I saw this film in a theater shortly after it was released. The scene where the mother ship appears over Devil's Tower made people audibly gasp, we hadn't seen anything quite like that before. Awe inspiring.
Maybe the most beautiful spaceship designs in all of film.
The French scientist was played by filmmaker Francois Truffaut. A lot of people felt they had choose sides, Star Wars or Close Encounters. I never understood why. They are such different types of movies. I enjoyed both tremendously, but each in a different way.
Close Encounters is literally in my top 5 favorite movies of all time. I love that you appreciate it as well.
This is hands down my favorite Steven Spielberg's movie. I adore this movie so much it's ridiculous. I always cry watching it, it's beautiful. Loved your reaction.
I'm only a few minutes in, but your commentary is spot on. The natural feel of the scene makes you feel like you're observing real people. Most movies focus on the person speaking no matter what. This director seems to take advantage of unimportant audio space by making the scene as chaotic as possible, and also the scene is hilarious. Spielberg always used the best ACTORS, not ones that would "look good" for the audience. Also, in the truck scene, I was looking for your reaction when the "headlights" went upwards. Did not disappoint
Great comment my friend. Appreciate this!
A film that needs to be experienced in the theater & truly articulates the power of the medium. You also watched the wrong version - Spielberg's final Director's Cut excises the interior shots of the ship - he wanted that left to the audience's imagination. Those shots were only included at the request of studio execs for the '79 Special Edition rerelea$e.
James, speaking of Ridley Scott's alien. That's one of the very few movies that you can turn the screen off and listen simply to the audio and your mind will make it even more terrifying.
James, I graduated university May, 1977. I got a job with a non-profit, working with inner city kids. We used to get free movie tickets for Saturday matinès. Imagine being in a darkened theater, theater sound, in the midst of a group of 6 to 14 year olds. And then the mother ship arrives.........!
I love that air traffic controller scene. It's almost just a throw away scene but it has so much texture to it and feels grounded in the real world. And I love how it's all just dialog, which adds to the suspense. I bet if someone made this movie today it'd be this big elaborate effects sequence.
As someone who used to work in an ATC centre, I can honestly say this is a completely realistic scene in portraying what the job is like. I know Spielberg is a plane buff, he really did his homework here.
I was going to post about this, also... One of the goosebump scenes... along with the ship going over Roy's truck when he waves it past.
...and the scene in India when the crowd points to the sky.
Did you recognize who the air traffic controller was. Morgan Freeman
@@jean-claudecullum3355 i believe you're mistaken ;-
The air traffic controller scene is one of my favorites of all time. I used to work with an old guy who sounded alot like of the pilots voices. Wasnt the same guy but unreal how alike they sounded.
Still one of my favorite Sci-films ever. The fact that Speilberg takes an everyman and puts him in extraordinary circumstances, was kind of new at the time, but later became kind of trope of his. Still a great movie. Funny, scary, though-provoking and just a plain old good time.
Do you have a list?
@@mikerodgers7620 In no particular order: Planet of the Apes (1968), 2001: A Space Odyssey, Soylent Green, Her, Lucy, Ex Machina, Close Encounters, Dune (2021), Contact; Blade Runner and BR: 2049, just to name a few. I'm sure I'm forgetting a couple. There are some that cross over into horror or action that I've excluded, like Alien or Terminator or The Matrix, all of which I loved, but they cross over enough so that I don't think of them as pure sci-fi.
Mine: Close Encounters of the Third Kind, Star Wars 77', Day the Earth Stood Still, The Empire Strikes Back, Equilibrium, The Thing 82', The Matrix, The Terminator, Terminator 2, Aliens, The Avengers
There were a few movies that came out with the everyman suddenly plunged into extraordinary circumstances he never wanted or asked for. One of my favs was Poltergeist and of course Terminator with Sarah Conner. Spielberg was always one step ahead, thinking smarter than most and he usually came out on top even when there were other fantastic directors out there. He has even written, directed and produced in the same movie.
@@MICKEYISLOWD Terminator is one of the finest sci-fi films ever. Poltergeist pretty much ranks up there in the horror/haunted house category.
I love that Spielberg cast legendary director Francois Truffaut as an actor in this movie.
The scene where he finally realizes the meaning of his giant living room mountain is one of my favorite all time scenes.
Close Encounters of the Third Kind was inspired by a real event. That's where he got the inspiration from.
That's right and I don't if you noticed but although it's not shown in this video, soon after the scene where the airmen came out of the mothership. There is a man with a beard and steps forward. He then puts a pipe in his mouth. He is known as the godfather of modern Ufology, his name was Dr J. Allen Hynek. Sadly he's no longer with us, he passed away in 1986.
He was the scientific advisor the US Air force by investigating UFO cases. They were regarded as projects.
1) Project Sign
2) Project Grudge
3) (which is the most famous and longest one of all) Project Bluebook
He was also the founder of CUFOS (Center for UFO Studies) and also created the "scale" on how UFO cases are classified.
1) Nocturnal lights: Lights in the night sky.
2) Daylight Disks: UFOs seen in the daytime, generally having discoidal or oval shapes.
3) Radar-visual: UFO reports that have radar confirmation.
4) Close encounters of the first kind (CE1): Visual sightings of an unidentified flying object, seemingly less than 500 feet (150 m) away, that show an appreciable angular extension and considerable detail.
5) Close encounters of the second kind (CE2): A UFO event in which a physical effect is alleged; this can be interference in the functioning of a vehicle or electronic device, animals reacting, a physiological effect such as paralysis or heat and discomfort in the witness, or some physical trace like impressions in the ground, scorched or otherwise affected vegetation, or a chemical trace.
6) Close encounters of the third kind (CE3): UFO encounters in which an animated entity is present-these include humanoids, robots, and humans who seem to be occupants or pilots of a UFO.
I really like that in Spielberg's movies which were set in the "present", the houses, hairstyles, cars, clothing, etc. were all what normal people actually had. The styles people had in real life were a lot more toned down than what we usually saw from Hollywood, and most of what people had in their daily lives was either already out of date, or would still pass today. This was the disco era, and TV and movies usually leaned into that more, but real life was more like what you see in Close Encounters, ET, Poltergeist, etc.
The director's cut is the longest version of the film, combining Spielberg's favorite elements from both previous editions but removing the scenes inside the extraterrestrial mothership.
My favourite cut
Let's define our terms - "Jaws" is not sci-fi and "Close Encounters..." is not horror. And I suppose there's a sequel in this, where Roy comes back 45 years later, finds his family and says "so, what's new?".
One day when Steven Spielberg was a kid, his parents suddenly rushed the children into the family car and drove to a place where a bunch of people had gathered to watch a meteor shower. The memory of people going somewhere to see something arriving from space stayed with him, and was one of the inspirations for Close Encounters of the Third Kind.
At the age of 17 in 1965, Spielberg made a movie called Firelight on a budget of $500. The plot was very similar to Close Encounters. He got it booked into a local theater and charged $1 admission. 500 people came to see it, and the receipts totaled $501 - he thinks one person paid $2 to get in. Two of the reels of Firelight have been lost.
Not counting Firelight, Close Encounters was only the third feature-length movie for theaters that Steven Spielberg directed, after The Sugarland Express in 1974, and Jaws in 1975. He's had a little bit of success since then, too.
the french scientist is played by François Truffaut, a great french director.
I couldn't get enough of this film growing up. I must've replayed this VHS over a dozen times in the early 2000's, no exaggeration.
The French speaking character is François Truffaut the film director.
“These guys got basketball?” 😂 Yeah, they are freaking tall.
Still my favourite Stephen Spielberg movie, but it's not a fair comparison in my case I think. This is my dad's favourite movie, and I watched it with him for the first time when I was... I don't even know how young, 7 or something maybe, and we kept watching it together once or twice a year for a long long time, even after I moved away from home we still watched it from time to time. It's been a long time since we did it now though, maybe 10 years or even more, I think I'll suggest we watch it this christmas when I visit. Good vibes all around from this reaction.
Making my day, James. I search every night for someone, anyone, to react to this; but it's largely not done. Oh, some have reacted to it, but not enough. A tremendous film. :)
I LOVE this movie! So many fascinating ideas presented. Interestingly, this basic story is how some people describe becoming hooked on chasing tornadoes and other dangerous weather: you witness a phenomenon, it moves you, takes over your life (sometimes painfully), the obsession roots in and you have to see it again until you understand.
Wonderful movie! A perfect mix of mystery, horror, humor and wonder. It makes you feel uneasy when Roy seems to slowly lose his mind but gets really heartwarming towards the end. And that music! Also, you can really tell that this movie was one of the major influences for J.J. Abrams' Super 8 (that chaotic scene with the kids in the beginning for example, and the ending of course).
That lens you are looking for is a split diopter lens, aka split-field or split-focus diopter.
OMG, so many memories!! I was in high school when this came out and it totally captivated me and my theater geek friends. We discussed, debated, and quoted this film for over a year. And that summer when my family took a trip out west, I talked my dad into visiting Devils Tower. Amazing place! Amazing movie!!
Just in case no one has already mentioned it, the scientist who knows that these guys are meant to be there, the guy speaking French - is the great great film-maker Francois Truffaut...
Very enjoyable reaction, classic movie. Been a movie fan since early childhood, it cost 2 cents to get in 2 cents for a candy bar and a cola was only 1 cent. Watching people react is fascinating and fun. Thanks James.
You might also like 1971's The Andromeda Strain. It's a bit slow paced but has great dialogue and some cool science visuals. Based on the book by Michael Crichton (writer of Jurassic Park) "A team of top scientists work feverishly in a secret, state-of-the-art laboratory to discover what has killed the citizens of a small town and learn how this deadly contagion can be stopped." Worth a watch and I think you'd enjoy it!
Only Michael Crichton book done right on film.
CEot3K is STILL one of my favorite films of all time. I truly enjoyed how Spielberg was able to get me to relate to Richard Dreyfus' character. A true masterpiece of cinema.
Also, overlapping dialog at the time was a relatively new technique in motion picture making at the time. This is likely why it stands out so much. Films were still following the previous generations' styles which were based on stage production. One wouldn't want people stage acting to talk over each other. It would be too confusing for the audience.
Today, we don't think much of overlapping dialog in movies. However, when it was starting to gain traction at that time, it was a REALLY big deal at how natural the conversations seemed. Outstanding observation on your part!
@12:30 I always call it a split focus lens or split diopter. I always enjoy your reactions and observances of the techniques the filmmakers use as well.
That's one thing I wish video games did more : layering dialogue, people cutting other people off, talking faster or at varying paces... It's a lot more natural.
That's a mother of a mothership! Right James. Great reaction!
Yet another classic. Loving the quality and variety of film selections presented on this channel. You and the Patreon are doing a damn good job here James.
On a Halloween theme; would love a reaction to Blacksheep, Splinter and Bubba Ho-Tep.
That’s awesome to hear! It’s a great time here 🤘🏽
OMG a classic! So happy to see you react to this! Still find myself humming the tune today 😆
19:43 Because there was a large overlap in the special effects guys on this film and Star Wars, they snuck in an R2-D2 cameo, hanging upside down under the rim of the saucer. Also, famously, Lucas visited the set of Close Encounters while both films were still in pre-production, and was blown away by what he was seeing. He insisted that Spielberg's film was going to bury him at the box office. Steven was just as convinced that it was the other way around, so they made a bet, promising to pay each other 2.5% of their films' respective box office gross. Which ever film took in more would make the other director the winner of the exchange. Spielberg won the bet to the tune of about $40 million, adjusted for inflation.
OMG, bro!! I'm so happy you're reacting to this. Old movies just hit different, especially how they slowly build it into one giant sequence in the end. Exorcist is another one that does it. They don't make movies like that anymore. Thank you. Also, I've never seen you wear glasses
I remember being so uninterested in this as a kid but having 3 big brothers I was forced to watch and ended up loving it!!!
Love this movie. Great reaction as always. Thanks.
I forget that people have forgotten what the scale was -
Close Encounters of the First Kind
Visual sightings of an unidentified flying object, seemingly less than 500 feet (150 m) away, that show an appreciable angular extension and considerable detail[10]
Close Encounters of the Second Kind
A UFO event in which a physical effect is alleged; this can be interference in the functioning of a vehicle or electronic device, animals reacting, a physiological effect such as paralysis or heat and discomfort in the witness, or some physical trace like impressions in the ground, scorched or otherwise affected vegetation, or a chemical trace[10]
Close Encounters of the Third Kind
See also: First contact (anthropology)
UFO encounters in which an animated entity is present-these include humanoids, robots, and humans who seem to be occupants or pilots of a UFO
This is one of the first movies I have memories seeing on a TV. The scene with all they toys turning on at night and the kid getting abducted scared me as a kid lol.
This is my favourite movie of all time, and the Flight Traffic control scene is genuinely what I consider to be one of the best scene in any movie ever filmed.
I prefer the Director's Cut which never shows the inside of the mothership, but really that's just personal preference. I think some people might feel they needed that payoff after the film not explaining... well.... anything XD
Spielberg was great at the overlapping natural dialogue. Especially his first few films. I think he had great trust in his actors.
This was the very first Spielberg movie I saw on VHS, then ET then finally HOOK.
Steve McQueen, James Caan, Jack Nicholson and Dustin Hoffman were considered for the role of Roy Neary until Richard Dreyfuss was cast.
Nominated for 8 Oscars:
Best Director
Best Supporting Actress Melinda Dillon
Best Sound Editing
Best Sound Effects Editing
Best Original Score
Best Production Design
Best Cinematography
Best Visual Effects.
It won Best Cinematography.
"You guys got basketball?" is perfection.
One of my favorite scifi films.The dialog and interactions between the characters and the geography are fantastic. You should try Cocoon by Ron Howard.
I saw this when it came out in theaters when I was 5 years old. It still stands as my all-time favorite movie. My mind was already blown away by "Star Wars", so this movie was the PERFECT follow-up. One took me into outer space, and the other brought outer space right here. The John Williams soundtrack alone is most worthy of earphones in a dark room.
Just to clear up a few things I think you might have been confused about, or at least questioned during your viewing.
Close Encounters of the First Kind: Sighting
Close Encounters of the Second Kind: Evidence
Close Encounters of the Third Kind: Contact
These people were driven crazy by their vision of Devil's Tower. The initial reason why Roy made a sculpture rather than a drawing is because he's an electrician. He works with his hands. That is what came to him naturally. Just like how a musician writes a song, and a filmmaker shoots a movie when they want to express themselves.
The reason why the little boy Barry had so many toys in his room because he is an only child from a single mother.
I think you may have mistaken Lance Hendricksen for "Sticks" (Scott Glenn).
Bob Balaban, who played the French translator, didn't actually speak French, but faked it in the audition to get the part!
Glad you enjoyed it!
Spectacular film and a great reaction. Continuing a similar sci-fi theme, you might want to react to Contact (1997) one day, James. A very emotional and somehow deeply spiritual movie directed by Robert Zemeckis and starring Jodie Foster. A rather intimate and personal take on the idea of alien contact compared to Close Encounters.
such an amazing movie. what i love about this movie is "are the aliens good or bad?" its done everything amazingly. almost 50 years and still an amazing movie.
Growing up with this (and other early Spielberg/Williams movies) feels like a warm, comfortable bath every time I watch it again.
I have always had a soft spot for first contact sci-fi and after reacting to Arrival and Close Encounters I hope you will also react to the other first contact movie Contact (1997, Zemeckis from a story by Carl Sagan). And if you really want to go for it, The Day The Earth Stood Still (1950, not the remake, very post WWII/cold war motivated)
I love the very quick view of the ships when still a great distance from the mountain. Unless I am mistaken they form the shape of the big dipper constellation over the mountain. Always loved that.
I remember seeing this as a very young kid and seeing the UFO. That was the coolest part. The second coolest part was getting to see the alien. I know it's not as impressive as some modern movies but it's still pretty cool for its time.
I love everything about this movie. The special effects are really good by today’s standards - and this was the 1970s. It’s got horror elements, mystery, sci-fi obviously, and presents humans as global citizens and aliens as friendly and curious.
The talented people at Industrial Lights and Magic were wizards with these effects.
For me this is Spielberg's masterpiece, it's a timeless and beautiful film.
Love your reactions my friend. This was one of my favorite movies from my childhood. The old ways never go out of style.
The little red ball following the other ships was an homage to Tinker Bell.
Great reaction. Love this movie.
This is my father's favorite movie and the first movie we ever bonded over. I hold it very close to my heart.
It appears you watched the Special Edition. I recognize it because for years I had the VHS copy of this and almost wore it out. You should check out the OG Theatrical Cut. It was recently gifted to me by my wife in the form of a blu-ray, and I instantly recognized the scenes that were cut out. The TC is more streamlined and swifter in it's narrative. Great reaction as always.
Yeah, I really hate that he cut the building of the HUGE mountain in his living room. It's such a powerful scene, and is the real reason why Teri Garr took the kids and left. Cutting that out really removes a key part of the mania driving Roy's behavior, having been affected by the aliens.
So Spielberg has three alien movies. E.T. and Close Encounters are the sort of movies where the aliens are either chill, or want to make contact. Then in 2005 he released War of the worlds. And that movie was absolutely brutal. I'd consider it the scariest movie I saw in my childhood. It's the most intense alien invasion/horror movie, that features aliens who have zero interest in being friends or anything. It has awesome sound design, effects, alien ship designs, and many moments that still stick in my mind. Spielberg knew he was playing nice before, so in his third alien movie, he showed no chill what so ever. Also, it has Tom Cruise running for dear life.
I'm older so I was familiar with the original film, but I agree that some of the elements made it far more chilling. People have been getting killed by phasers, beams, etc for decades. To see crowds of everyday people, with lives and families and histories, just get suddenly turned to ash and bits of cloth.. I don't know why it hits harder than so many other movies that show similar things but it does. A skilled film maker working with nuances I guess.
@@dreamcoyote I read the book by Wells, and I have to say that for the first alien invader story, he knocked it out of the park. It doesn't feel dated at all.
As for the Spielberg movie, a lot of people dunk on it for the annoying kids, but that's what the movie is about. The main character may have a difficult time connecting with his kids, but he is a pappa wolf through the entire thing. And the movie was real grounded too. We didn't see many scenes of famous landmarks being destroyed, generals and scientists discussing the plan of action and so on. It was a movie about a family being in the middle of a horrible disaster. And damn were the alien invaders cold in that movie. They went pest control on the entire human race.
He also has a series as well called Taken which was very good. It was on Amazon. Not sure if it still is.
I looked it up because I couldn't remember what the different types of encounters were and it's interesting that they call this close encounters of the Third kind since it has all five types of encounters in it
Fantastic reaction. You always put "Filmmaker reacts" in your title, and in THIS reaction, we DEFINITELY get the filmmaker side of James, and I just want to tell you: I'm here for it! You're one of the only reactors - possibly THE only reactor - who was happy they kissed at the mountain. You understood it. Somewhere along the years, people have gotten really priggish and on their high horse about this movie. ("He's cheating on his wife! He's leaving his family!" - in the late 70s, EVERYONE was leaving their families! lol. The Jillian character is a single mother, right? it reminds me of a great wacky movie, "Repo Man". He's about to get on the spaceship and the girls grabs him and says "What about our relationship?" And he stares at the spaceship and says "F**k that!" LOL. This is by far my fave Spielberg movie; it's definitely the period he was "coolest". Ten thousand things to say about this unique, one-of-a-kind sci-fi movie, but I'll leave it with this: Seeing this is in a movie theatre with an audience was a like a religious experience, people were in a DAZE when the lights came up, as if we all had gone on the experience together. (which we had!). It came out six months after "Star Wars" and I was ten thousand times more blown away by this movie than that one. (and I was all of 8 years old). EXCELLENT reaction!
There's a great behind the scenes on youtube. The dessert scene at the front was added when the edit was too short. The Spaceship interior came after its initial release. btw, the single mom is the actress from "A Christmas Story" didn't know that till this year,
I was maybe 10 when I first saw this movie with my family but to this day it still resonates as one of the best "first contact" alien movies. Bravo, sir.
Spielberg said that this is the movie he is more proud of, on a filmmaker standpoint, because it's the movie who came more closer to what he had imagined, Schindler List is the other he mentioned but by a humanitary standpoint
I saw this in 1977 when I was, visiting my cousin in New York city. We sat in the front row. Love this film so much.
I love the camera move when the government guy with the beard asked if the man has experienced a close encounter.
This movie is epic in all of the great ways that the '80s could provide when there was hope and wonder and happiness in film before Hollywood decided to make everything gritty and dark. Movies like this and ET and The Goonies showed that there was a time when we had a sense of adventure.
Nailed it. I can feel the texture of this film haha. Feels like a portal into the 80s
1977, I saw it in the theater with my Dad. But Y'all are right, it's a portal to the 80s
Um... dude... the 70s WAS Gritty and dark Hollywood. Take a look at Spielbergs own DUEL or STARLIGHT EXPRESS. Also, Texas Chainsaw Massacte, Taxi Driver, Joe, Last Tango in Paris, Godfather 1 and 2, Mean Streets, Blaxploitatin, Kung Fu-sploition... and all those other crazy grindhouse flicks
Love your comment, but this came out in 1977 some year as Star Wars.
When this was made, in '77, there wasn't much hope, wonder or happiness in Hollywood. A lot of 70s films were depressing because of Vietnam, political scandals and a poor economy. I think that that's a big reason why this, Star Wars and Rocky were such huge hits. Moviegoers in the late 70s wanted to feel good again. Their success encouraged more adventurous, fun and funny films as the 80s rolled around.
It was great watching your reaction to this movie. My aunt took me to see this at the Ziegfeld Theatre in NYC when it opened and I thoroughly enjoyed the movie. I think seeing it in such a great movie theatre is what made me favor it over Star Wars by a long shot as I watched the latter in a second-run theatre with the sound volume set low and coming solely from the screen.
I apologize ahead of time if I repeat any information previously found on this thread but the head scientist Lacombe was played by François Truffaut, director of film classics like The 400 Blows, Day For Night, Shoot The Piano Player and the film adaptation of Fahrenheit 451. You also watched the second of three versions of this movie -- the Special Edition. Steven Spielberg regretted showing the interior of the mothership (added as an incentive for movie goers to attend the movie's second theatrical run) and created his own Director's Cut after this. I saw the Theatrical Cut and from what I remember, there was an early scene with the UFO witnesses in a conference room with the head government/military authority telling them what they saw was not extraterrestrial. Also missing was a lot of Neary family interaction and the ship in the desert.
The other element of this movie besides the acting and directing that gave this movie such weight is John Williams' score. The driving scene after escaping the evacuation and leading to the leads' first view off Devil's Tower is one of my favorites due solely on the music.
The original theatrical poster was also brilliantly subtle and intriguing and made viewers wonder what the movie was about.
Strangely, while watching your reaction and seeing Melinda Dillon made remember her in a small part in the 1977 movie Slap Shot; a movie that is certainly nothing like Close Encounters' but is such an incredibly fun and raucous sports movie (directed by George Roy Hill (Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid, The Sting, etc.)) that I would like to recommend it to you. I've watched it over ten times throughout my life and I laugh out loud each every time.
As always, it was great fun to relive my first experience watching this movie vicariously through your own first-time viewing.
I must assume they have basketball because that scary dude who leaned under the doorway for a peek was tall af 😳
This is my favorite movie of all time; saw this when I was about 5 or six, and it both terrified me and fascinated me. I still watch it at least once or twice a year.
I lived in the same dorm as the actor that plays the little boy in this when in Alabama. His name was Kerry or Carey I think (it’s been 30 years). We played guitar together at his place. He was/is very talented. He answered all my questions about the movie. Spielberg etc. Last I heard he got into finance or some such. Truly a nice guy.
I would love to know how he directs the crosstalk chaos scenes. The kid dismembering the doll in the playpen in the background is gold.
Got to see this on the big screen a few years back and it was even more spectacular than all those times I had watched it on a TV screen. If you ever get the chance to do the same, I can't recommend it more
16:25 no, Stick is played by Scott Glenn.
I do see why you would think that too, it goes by so fast and so grainy :P , but that is Lance Henriksen, aka Bishop from Aliens. :)
I remember getting this movie out on VHS from the greatly missed video rental shops. We would usually take out 3-4 movies at weekends and a couple mid week. Me my dad and my sister sat down and watched this movie and it completely shook my world. I can't even remember watching the other movies or even recall what they were. I was about 9-10 when I saw it and the wonder and brilliance stayed with me ever since. I do remember asking what the title meant and my dads explanation was just silly, vague and didn't make sense so I asked my mom and she explained all the different 'kinds' of encounters which left me to wonder about what is out there.
Just a side note: We are now on the brink of demonstrating the processes of how Abiogenesis started and how life got going from simple to complex chemistry and then from non living organic matter to life in the lab. When this has been done it will likely show that there is nothing magical or special about life but rather it's an inevitable consequence of chemistry as long as there are good conditions present.
This means that life must be ubiquitous in the universe and considering there are around 200 trillion stars in our little pocket of the universe; or the bit we can actually see, then there must be life all over the place and a fair chance it exists elsewhere just in our solar system alone. When we have these answers it will change mankind in such a profound way, in how we look at ourselves and how we begin to care about each other instead of building evermore dangerous bombs and missiles. Imagine us understanding how life gets started and with our current and next generation telescopes we can detect signatures for life in the atmospheres of countless planets in our galaxy and beyond.
this one I saw in theaters. I was 12yo and don't just recall the movie, but the experience of going to "the movies". it was still a privilege for me.
Spielberg was 30 when and unmarried when he made this film. Upon reflection, the older Spielberg noted that he would never have had Roy abandon his family if he had made the film later in life.
Claude Lacombe was played renowned French director and Spielberg idol, Francois Truffault.
NOTE: This is the special edition of the film that played theaters in 1980. The original film didn't have the extended freakout sequence at the Neary household, the ship in the desert or the interior of the Mothership. The break in the soundtrack to make room for that reveal scene is pretty noticeable if you're used to the original. Strains of When you Wish upon a Star are weaved into John Williams' soundtrack as Roy boards the ship.
Despite the keyboardist initially playing electronic tones, the final music "conversation" is performed on a clarinet and tuba in a tour de force composition by Williams. It's a very rare occasion where the theme music of a film actually is part in the in-canon story.
Lance Hendrickson, probably best known for his role as the android Bishop in Aliens, has a small part as one of the government personnel.
Stick from Daredevil was played by Scott Glenn, who was in a million movies, but not this one.
Now that you’ve seen this, you need to watch the companion parody “Closet Cases of the Nerd Kind.” It played on a constant loop on HBO in the early eighties and I thought it was hilarious as a kid. You can watch it on RUclips and it still (kinda) holds up.
Well, this is exciting for me! Fantastic film that I can remember the very first time I saw it, way back when. A very pleasant memory from my childhood. Thank you
I just watched this for the first time in my life like a month ago and thought it was pretty dope!
That natural dialogue was a big thing in the 70s and 80s. The movie M.A.S.H. and few others (I can't think of right now) were known for it.
Enjoyed your reaction - thanks!
If you're a filmmaker I'd recommend researching how Spielberg drew the performance he wanted out of Cary Guffey (Barry). He was only 3 years old but Spielberg came up with some pretty clever and ingenious techniques to get the appropriate reactions.
It’s a split diopter lens…allows two items in different focal planes to be on focus at once.
That mountain you know is called “Devils Tower”. It’s located in SE Wyoming. Closest large town is Rapid City South Dakota. Cheers
Another film that certainly falls into that sci-fi/horror cross-genre category is Event Horizon.
Also, I think Teri Garr turned in an excellent performance here. We know her from Young Frankenstein of course, made three years before this, but the first role I remember her from was a Star Trek the original series episode titled Assignment Earth, which was actually a pilot for a series that didn't sell.
The actor you pointed out wasn’t Stick from Daredevil, but it WAS Lance Henriksen, he played Bishop in Aliens, one of the detectives in Terminator and Gen. Shepherd in MW2
One of my Favorit moments at a movie Theater after watching the film everybody leaving the Theater looks up at the night sky at the same time it was like when all the hands point up at the sky
14:25 Great observation. Having the camera move backwards to introduce new elements one by one is a deft way to lead the audience without cutting. Spielberg does this all the time. I often think of Indiana Jones closeups of him changing expression and the camera pulls back to reveal the dangerous situation he's in.
I love the new setup with the faux trees in the background
Appreciate that!! Still have work to do, but the base is done!